This invention relates in general to restraining devices and, in particular, to a lightweight and flexible restraining device which may be utilized to secure the extremities of a person or animal sought to be restrained and/or to limit the mobility of such a person or animal. More specifically, but without restriction to the particular embodiment and/or use which is shown and described for purposes of illustration, this invention relates to a low-cost and lightweight restraining device which may be utilized to secure the extremities of a person while minimizing the potential injury that might be incurred to such a person while wearing or attempting to remove the restraining device, or to others if such person were to attempt to use the restraining device as a weapon against one seeking to apply the restraining device or control such person.
Restraining devices to immobilize persons or limit their mobility have been utilized for centuries. Such devices have included the type wherein the size or weight of the restraining device is the primary factor in immobilizing or restraining the person sought to be controlled. Other such devices have been permanently secured in a fixed position, and the person sought to be restrained is brought to the device and attached thereto. Such restraining devices are utilized primarily after the person sought to be restrained has been brought, under control, to the device and generally are not suitable for being carried by a person seeking to control or restrain another. These aforementioned devices were used primarily where the person sought to be restrained was under the control of another, with the device being used to immobilize the person after control had been established.
It is presently necessary for persons such as law enforcement personnel to carry with them devices which may be utilized to immobilize or restrain a person being taken into custody by the law enforcement officer. Such devices are used for establishing control over a person being taken into custody, as well as to maintain that control once custody has been established. Two of such devices which are commonly in use comprise rigid metal structures which are used to encircle either the wrist or ankles of a person sought to be taken into custody, referred to as "hand-cuffs", or to encircle or join the thumbs of such a person, referred to as "thumb-cuffs". While these devices are suitable for their intended purposes, because of the size and weight of such restraining devices the number of such "hand-cuffs" or "thumb-cuffs" which can be carried by a law enforcement officer is limited. In addition, it has been found that such devices have been used as weapons against the law enforcement officers by the person sought to be restrained, both when attempting to control such person or after the devices have been secured in place.
In an attempt to resolve some of these problems associated with prior art restraining devices, devices such as disclosed in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,516,124 and 4,071,023, and the patents described therein, have been developed, as well as restraining devices similar to the plastic bundling ties used for cabling and bundling wires. These latter restraining devices are formed from a flat nylon strap and include a pre-formed strap head mounted at the end of the nylon strap which houses a high-strength steel barb permitting a one-way blocking action of the strap. The nylon strap is formed with a central groove running the length of the strap which permits the strap to be locked in a number of adjustable positions.
While such nylon strap or filament type of restraining devices are lighter weight and less expensive than conventional hand-cuffs or thumb-cuffs, such devices, due to the nature of the flat nylon strap or filament required, are stiff and, therefore, not easily carried. Furthermore the stiffness of such nylon strap or filament restraining devices is such that the devices are not comfortable when applied to the person sought to be restrained. Such restraining devices are also sensitive to temperature extremes, and it is recommended that they not be stored in direct sunlight.
The present invention provides a restraining or control device which is low-cost, lightweight and more comfortable for the person sought to be controlled. The control device of the present invention, therefore, is much less expensive than conventional "hand-cuffs" or "thumb-cuffs", and permits a law enforcement officer to comfortably carry a number of the restraining devices. The ability to readily carry a number of such restraining devices permits the control of more than one person, as in a multiple offender arrest situation, without necessitating maintaining such control at gunpoint which occurs when the officer is unable to carry a sufficient number of conventional "cuffs" to accommodate such arrests. The lightweight and flexibility of the present invention limits the potential use of the restraining device as a weapon against the arresting officer, and is also more comfortable on the person being restrained. Minimizing the irritation or discomfort to a person being placed in custody during a tense and highly-charged emotional situation, can eliminate unnecessary aggravation which might lead to a violent outburst.